Automatic musical instrument.



E. L. OUCHIE.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.26. I913.

1 252,479 Patented J an. 8, 1918.

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lNvENTuR f K ATTEIRNEYEI FlllTlu E.L.OUCHIE AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC.26. 1913. 1,252,479. Patented Jan'. 8,1918.

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ATTEIYR NEY:

"E. L. OUCHIE. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

E. L. OUCHIE.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. 1913.. 1,252,479. Patented Jan. 8,1918.

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DUDUIJU #5 A28 8 INVENTEIR WITNEEIEEE WX@WE/ wad/C7 DY u,u/t/v" /fl ATTURNUEJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

ELMER L. OUCHIE, or DETROI MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To THE RUDOLPH: nRiQ-I ZE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or NORTH TONAwANnA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOMATIC MUsIcAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented J an. 8 1918.

Application filed December 26, 1913. Serial NO. 808,857.

To all whom z'tmciy concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER L. OUCHIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to keyed musical instruments, such as pianos, which are adapted to be played either automatically or manually, and more particularly to an instrument of this kind in which a plurality of trackers and music sheets are employed.

One object of my invention is the provision of an efficient and reliable instrument of this character which is capable of playing continuously, and which permits the operator to start or stop either of the music sheets at will.

Further objects of the invention are to provide simple and reliable means for cutting off one tracker from the wind chest while the other is in service, and to improve the construction of the instrument in various other respects.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an automatic piano embodying the invention with the front wall of the case removed, the piano action and the strings being omitted for clearness. igs. 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views showing the roll driving mechanisms of the two trackers in different positions. Fig. 4L is an enlarged front elevation of the roll driving mechanism of one of the trackers. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of the controlling pneumatics. Fig. 7 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the cut-off board on line 7-7, Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section of the cut-off board on line 88, Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 indicates the main wind chest containing a pneumatic playing action of any suitable construction, and 2, Figs. 2 and 3, indicates one of the customary striker or playing pneumatics. The wind chest is connected with the customary pump or main suction bellows 3 operated by an electric or other suitable motor 4. Interposed between the main wind chest and the bellows 3 1s a valve box or case 5 containing a cutoff valve 6. A suction trunk 7 connects this case with said bellows.

The instrument contains two trackers or tracker frames and associated roll-driving and controlling mechanisms which as a whole are designated by the reference let ters A and B, respectively, and for brevity are hereinafter referred to as trackers A and B. They are identical in construction and a description of one will therefore apply to both.

8 indicates the tracker board, 9 the music roll, 10 the take-up roll and 11 the music sheet. The, right hand end of the take-up roll-spindle is engaged with the usual clutch member or head 12 secured to the takeup shaft 13, while the rewind roll-spindle is engaged by the clutch member 14 secured to the rewind shaft 15, which shafts are jour naled in the cheeks 16 of the tracker boxes or frames. The rewind shaft carries a spur gear 17 engaging an idler 18. Mounted on the take-up roll shaft 13 is a spur gear 19;

20 indicates a main driving shaft extending horizontally through both tracker boxes and journaled therein. Fixed to this shaft 20 adjacent to each tracker box is a spur gear 21. Pivoted upon the shaft 20 is a vertically-movable rock arm 22 carrying three transmission gears 23, 24 and 25, which are secured to a spindle 26 journaled in said arm. The gear 23 is adapted to mesh with the gear 21 on the main drive shaft 20. hen the rock arm 22 is raised, the gear 24 meshes with the rewind idler 18, while when said arm is lowered, the gear 25 meshes with the take-up gear 19. The transmission gears 24 and 25 are arranged between the spur gears 18 and 19, with which they are adapted to mesh, and the constant rotation of the transmission gears causes the music sheet to be taken up or rewound, according as said rock arm is moved down or up.

The main drive shaft 20 is preferably driven from an upright 27 by friction disks 28 and 29, the shaft of the friction disk 29 being connected with the drive shaft 20 by a universal connecting shaft 30. This upright may be driven from the motor 4 by any suitable means, that shown in the drawings including a horizontal shaft 31 and worm gearing 32.

The shifting, of the rock arm 22 is prefer ably effected by the following means:

33 and 34 indicate bellows or pneumatics located adjacent to the roll-drivin mechanism and serving respectively to shift the rock arm 22 into rewind and takeup posi tion. This arm is connected by a link 35 with a strap or bar 36, connected at its ends to the upper movable board of the upper pneumatic 33 and the lower movable board of the lower pneumatic 34, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. These pneumatics are alternately inflated and deflated by any suitable or well known means. Those shown in the drawings comprise a valve block 37 preferably located on the underside of the key board and a coiiperating slide valve 38. This block is provided with a suction port 39 and a pair of combined suction and flushing ports 40 and 41, all of which ports terminate at the lower face of said block. The valve 38 contains a port 42 constructed to alternately connect the blockports 40 and 41 with the suction port 39. The latter is in constant communication with a valve chamber 43 of the cut-off box 5, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This valve chamber is connected by ports 44 with a suction chamber 45 in turn connected by the trunk 7 with the main suction bellows 3, and said valve chamber is connected by ports 46 with a flushing chamber 47 communicating with the atmosphere by an opening 48. The ports 44 and 46 are controlled by a duplex valve 6 actuated by a pouch or diaphragm 49 of ordinary construction. Normally the flushing ports 46 are closed and the suction ports 44 are open, as shown.

The slide valve 38 is operated by a pair of oppositely-acting pneumatics 50 and 51, the movable boards of which are arranged to engage opposite ends of the valve. These pneumatics are individually connected with an auxiliary wind chest 52 preferably arranged on the underside of the key table and having its suction chamber 53 connected with the valve chamber 43 of the cut off valve by a trunk 54. The pneumatic 50 is connected by a conduit 55 with a valve chamber 56 in the auxiliary chest 52, which chamber is connected with a flushing chamber 57 and the suction chamber 53 by ports, which are controlled by a duplex valve 58 of ordinary construction. This valve is controlled by a primary pneumatic 59 to which leads a conduit 60 connected with a corresponding duct 61 of tracker A. Thepneumatic 51 is connected with a wind chest chamber 62 similar to the chamber 56 and is controlled by a valve 63 and pneumatic 64, from which latter leads a conduit 65 connected with a corresponding duct 61 of the tracker B.

The playing bellows 33 of tracker A is connected with the port 40 of the valve block 37 by a conduit 66, while the playing bellows 33 of the tracker B is connected with the port 41 of said block by a conduit 67, and these bellows are alternately inflated and deflated by the shifting of the valve 38 in an obvious manner. I

p The rewind bellows 34 of tracker A is connected by a conduit 68 with a valve chamber 69 of the auxiliary chest 52,which chamber is connected by ports 70 with the flushing chamber 57 and by ports 71 with a combined suction and flushing chamber 72, which is independent of the main suction chamber 53. These ports are controlled by a duplex valve 73 the heads of which are arranged on the outer side of the chamber 69. This valve is in turn controlled by a diaphragm 74, as hereinafter described. The rewind bellows 34 of tracker B is connected with a similar chamber 75 by a duct 7 6 and a valve 77 similar to the valve 73, the latter being actuated by a pneumatic 73. The suction and flushing chamber 72 is connected with the port 41 of the valve block 37 by the conduits 79 and 67, while the chamber 80 is connected with the port 40 of said valve block by conduits 81 and 66. Thus the rewind bellows are alternately in flated and deflated by the shifting of the slide valve 38 of said block.

By this construction and arrangement of the controlling mechanism, the playing pneumatic 33 of tracker A is collapsed when the rewind pneumatic 34 of tracker B is collapsed, thus driving the music sheet of tracker A and rewinding the sheet of tracker B. The same statement applies to the playing bellows 33 of tracker B and the rewind bellows 34 of tracker A.

The actuation of these sets of playing and rewind bellows is automatically effected after the playing of each roll by perforations 82 located near the ends of the music sheets 11 and which register with the ducts 61 of the tracker boards in a well known manner. As the rewind operation of the music sheet is more rapid than the winding or playing operation, means are provided for stopping the rewind mechanism of the played roll while the take-up mechanism of the playing roll continues. This stopping mechanism operates to shift the transmission gears 23, 24 and 25 to a neutral or intermediate position in which they drive neither the music roll nor the take-up roll. It is preferably constructed as follows:

83 indicates a stepping pneumatic or bellows located above the playing bellows 33 and serving when collapsed to move and hold the rock arm 22 in neutral or intermediate position, each of the trackers A and B having such a stopping bellows. These bellows are individually connected by conduits 84 and with chambers 85 and 86 to the auxiliary wind chest 52 and are controlled by valves 87 and 88 similar to the chambers 56 and valves 58. The valve 87 is controlled by a primary pneumatic 89 from which leads a conduit 90 controlled by a flushing valve 91 of tracker A. The valve 88 is controlled by a. primary pneumatic 92 from which av conduit 93 leads to a flushing valve 91 of tracker B, Each of these flushing valvespreferably consists of a spring-pressed pallet which normally closes a port 9% in a block 95.

96 indicates fingers which cooperate with the take-up rolls 10, respectively, and control the flushing valves 91 of the stopping bellows 83. Each of these fingers is pivoted at its lower end to a vertically movable rock arm 97 secured to a horizontal shaft 98, arranged parallel with the take-up roll and on the front side thereof, and is supported in the adjacent tracker box. A trip finger 99 extending rearwardly from the shaft 98 engages under the flushing valve 91. Secured to the shaft 98 is an additional rock arm 100 which is connected with the rock arm 22 by a link 101.

As seen in Fig. 5, the finger 96 bears against the convolutions of the music sheet opposite a transverse groove or recess 102 in the periphery of the take-up roll, the finger bearing constantly against the music sheet by its own weight and held in its uppermost position by a spring 103. This recess has an abrupt rear end or shoulder 10a referring to the direction of travel of the take-up roll during the rewinding of the music sheet. So long as the recess remains covered by the music sheet during the rewinding operation, the finger is held in a retracted position, as shown in Fig. 5. As soon however as the recess is uncovered by the complete unwinding of the music sheet, the finger drops into the recess and its upper end is brought into the path of the abrupt end of the recess, thereby depressing the finger and causing it to rock the shaft 98 in the proper direction to lift and open the valve 91. thereby flushin the JI'lDlZLI )neumatic 89 or 92 as the case may be and collapsing the stop bellows 83 to lower the transmission gears 23, 2a and 25 into neutral position. The connection 101 between the rock arm 22 and the shaft 98 is preferably em ployed to assist the stopping bellows 83 in disconnecting the transmission gear 2 1 from the idler 18.

Inasmuch as the rock arm 22 is held up in rewinding position by the rewind bellows 34, it is necessary to flush the latter simultaneously with the collapse of the stopping bellows 83, in order to allow the latter to lower said arm to intermediate or neutral position. Said arm is supported in this position by a. counterbalancing spring 100 suitably connected therewith. In the example shown, this spring is secured at its upper end to the fixed board 107 of the adjacent playing bellows 38 and at its lower end to the lower movable board of the rewind bellows 34, whereby the weight of the arm 22 and the transmission gears 23, 24 and 25 is transmitted to said spring through the link 35 and the strap 36. It should be noted however that this spring is light enough to allow the playing bellows 33 to overcome its resistance. The movable board of the stopping bellows carries a suitable adjustable stop 108 for limiting its closing movement when the arm 22 is lowered to its neutral position.

To effect the abovementioned flushing of the rewind bellows3l simultaneously with the collapse of the stopping bellows 83, the primary pneumatics 7% and 78 of the rewind bellows are connected by conduits 109 and 110 with the conduits 93 and 90 which latter lead to the pallet-valves 91. When one of these valves 91 is opened the corresponding valve 73 is raised, thereby disconnecting the rewind bellows 3% from the suction chamber 72 and connecting it with the flushing chamber and causing its inflation.

During the rewind of each music sheet, the corresponding tracker is cut ofi from the main wind chest by any suitable means, but I prefer to employ the mechanism shown in the drawings which is constructed as fol lows:

111 indicates a cutoff board or chest preferably arranged on top of the main wind chest 1 and containing a pair of pouch or valve chambers 112 and 113. One of these chambers, say the chamber 112 is connected by a conduit 11% and the conduit66 with the port 40 of the block 37, while the chamber 113 is connected by a conduit 115 and the conduit 67 with the block-port 41, whereby each of said chambers is alternately exhausted andfiushed by the shifting of the slide valve 38. Arranged in the cut-off chest 111 adjacent to the pouch chamber 112 are a plurality of channels 116 respectivelycon nected with the ducts 61 of tracker A by conduits 117. Arranged adjacent to the other pouch chamber 113 is a similar set of channels 118 to which are connected conduits 119 forming a continuation of the respective tracker ducts of tracker B. The pair or set of channels 116 and 118 corresponding to like note-ducts of the two tracker boards 8 both communicate with a common channel 120 leading to the primary pneumatic 121 which controls the valve 122 of the corresponding striker pneumatic 2. Each of the channels 116 is divided or interrupted by a partition 123 and provided on opposite sides of said partition with ports 12 1 which are covered by a pouch or flexible diaphragm 125 secured at its edge to the top of the upper pouch chamber 112. These ports extend through the bottoms of the channels 116 and the corresponding pouch 125 forms a valve which, when elevated against the .lower edge of the partition 123, closes the ports 124 and cuts off communication between the corresponding primary pneumatic 121 and the corresponding duct of the board 8 of tracker A; while when said pouch valve is lowered, it opens said ports and forms a by-pass between them, thereby connecting said primary pneumatic with said tracker board duct. It will be understood that there is such a pouch valve for each channel 116.

Each of the channels 118 has a similar partition 126 and a pair of ports 127 controlled by a pouch valve 128.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the playing bellows 33 of tracker A is deflated by the shifting of the slide valve 38, the pouch chamber 112 of the corresponding tracker is at the same time exhausted, drawing the pouch valves 125 away from the ports 124, and allowing communication between the tracker ducts 116 of tracker A and the primary pneumatics 121 of the main wind chest. Simultaneously with this action the pouch chamber 113 is connected to the atmosphere by the uncovering of the port 4.1 in the block 37 depressing or closing the pouch valves 128 over the ports 127 and thereby cutting ofl the tracker ducts of the tracker B from the main wind chest.

lVhen the slide valve 38 is shifted to the opposite position, the pouch-valves 128 corresponding to tracker B are opened and the pouch-valves 125 corresponding to tracker A are closed, cutting off the tracker A from the main wind chest.

It may be desirable at times while one music sheet is being played to select some particular piece of the idle music sheet and move it into position ready to be played when desired. This is preferably accomplished by the following mechanism:

The take-up shaft 15 is provided with an auxiliary driving spur gear 129 which engages with an idler 130 journaled on a vertically movable rock arm 131 pivoted on the shaft 15. The idler 130 in turn is adapted to engage with the spur gear 21. The gear 129 is of larger diameter than the spur gear 25 used in driving the take-up roll at play ing speed, thus saving time in selecting the desired composition.

The shifting of the rock arm 131 is preferably effected by the following means:

132 indicates a bellows or pneumatic which serves when collapsed to shift the rock arm 131 into operative or selecting position and which is connected with said arm by a link 133. A spiral spring 134 serves to draw this rock arm 131 into inoperative position when the bellows 132 is inflated. The two bellows of the trackers A and B are individually connected by conduits 135 and 136 with separate valve chambers 137 and 138 in the auxiliary wind chest 52 and these bellows are controlled by valves 139 and 140, respectively, and corresponding pri mary pneumatics 141 and 142 arranged in suction chambers 143 and 144. The primary pneumatic 141 is connected by a conduit 145 with a port 146 arranged in a valve-bar or case 147 and controlled by a slide valve 148 operated by a hand lever 149. The pneumatic 142 is connected by a conduit 150 with a port 151 in the case 147 and controlled by a similar valve 152 actuated by a hand lever 153. The uncovering of either of the ports 146 and 151 by the movement of the lever 149 or 153 causes the collapse of the corresponding selecting bellows 132 and the shifting of the selecting mechanism into operative position.

The suction chambers 143 and 144 are connected by conduits 154 and 155 with auxiliary valve chambers 156 and 157 in the auxiliary chest 52. The chambers are alter nately connected with the flushing chamber 57 and auxiliary suction chambers 158 and 159 by valves 160 and 161 similar to the valves 77. The suction chamber 156 is con nected with the port 40 of the valve-block 37 by a conduit 162 and the conduit 66. The suction chamber 159 is connected with the port 41 of said block by a conduit 163 and the conduit 67, whereby said suction chambers 158 and 129 and the suction chambers 143 and 144 connected therewith are alternately exhausted and flushed by the shifting of the slide valve 38.

Under ordinary conditions, the roll drivlng mechanism is automatically thrown into rewlnd position after playing the complete roll and continues to rewind until automatically stopped. The selectingis done manually and as the operator is apt to do so during the rewinding operation, means must be provided to shift the transmission gears 23, 24 and 25 into neutral or inoperative position before the selecting mechanism is thrown into operative position, otherwise the rewind mechanism will interfere with the selecting mechanism. This shifting action is accomplished preferably by the following means:

164 and 165 indicate auxiliary ports arranged in the bar 147 adjacent to the ports 146 and 151, respectively, and controlled by the valve blocks 148 and 152. These ports 164 and 165 are connected by conduits 166 and 167 with the primary pneumatics 89 and 92 which control the stopping bellows 83; and by conduits 168 and 169 with the primary pneumatics 74 and 78 which control the rewind bellows 34. The hand levers 149 and 153 are movable'into three operative positions, viz: rewind, stop and select, and are set in rewind position, as shown, when the instrument is to play continuously without the operator making selections.

When either of these levers is moved to select position for selecting a piece, it first passes through stop position and opens the port 164 or 165, raising the primary pneumatic 78 or 74, and exhausting the corresponding rewind bellows, and also raising the primary pneumatic 89 or 92, and deflating the corresponding stop bellows 83, thereby shifting the transmission gears 2325 into inoperative position. When either of said levers reaches select position, the port 14601 151 is opened and the primary pneumatic 141 or 142 is raised, causing the corresponding selecting bellows to collapse and throwing the selecting gear 130 into opertive position. i

As before stated, after one music sheet has finished playing, a perforation atthe end thereof causes the other music sheet to start playing. As the operator might be in the act of selecting a piece on the idle music sheet at the time this change occurs, the suction supply to each selecting bellows 132 is arranged to be cut off an instant before the other playing bellows 33 comes into operation to allow the spring 134 to withdraw the selecting, gear 130 from the drive gear 21 and prevent said gear 130 from interfering with the operation of the playing gear 25. The bellows-conduits are connected so that the suction supply to the playing bellows 33 of tracker A is through the same conduit as that of the selecting bellows 132 of tracker it B, and the suction supply of the playing bellows 33 of tracker B is through the same conduit as that of the selecting bellows 132 of tracker A, ascan readily be seen in Figs. 2 and- 3, by noting that conduit 162 is connected with conduit 66; and conduit 163 is connected with conduit 67. This arrangement makes it impossible for the selecting and playing gears 130 and 25 of the same tracker to come into operation at the same time.

In selecting a piece near the end of the music sheet, the latter is liable to run off the music spool, unless means are provided for automatically disconnecting the selecting gear 130 from the driving gear 21 and thereby stopping the forward travel of the sheet.

To accomplish this, the valves 160 and 161 which are interposed between the selecting bellows 132 and the suction port 39 are controlled by pneumatics 170 and 171, respectively. The pneumatic 170 is connected by conduits 172 and 65 with the duct 61 of the tracker B, while the pneumatic 171 is connected by conduits 173 and 60 with the duct 61 of tracker A. The action of these pneu matics is controlledby the rewind perfora tions 82 which register with the ducts 61 of the tracker boards.- When either of these perforations registers with the corresponding duct 61, the corresponding valve 160 or 161 is raised, cutting off the suction chamher 158 or 159 from the valvechamber 156 or. 157 and connecting said chamber with the flushing chamber 57 of the auxiliary wind chest. This action in turn flushes the corresponding suction chamber 143 or 144, allowing the valve 139 or 140 to drop and connecting the valve chamber 137 or 138, with the flushing chamber 57, thereby inflating the selecting bellows 132, disconnecting the selecting gear 130 from the driving gear 21 and stopping the sheet.

As before stated, the selecting is done on the idle sheet. Previous to this sheet becoming idle, it wasplayed and the slide valve 38 controlled by the rewind perforation 82 of said sheet was moved into proper position to cause the other sheet to play and the idle sheet to rewind. Therefore the registration of the perforation 82 with the tracker duct 61 to stop the roll when selecting as above described, does not in any valve 38 to shift the roll-driving mechanism,

as previously described.

For the purpose of manually controlling the cut off 6, a conduit 182 leads to a flushing port 183 in the valve-case or bar 147. This port is controlled by a slide-valve 184 operated by a key or hand lever 185 fulcrumed to the bar 147. Normally, this valve closes said port 183, as shown in the drawings, allowing the cut off valve 6 to assume the position shown and excluding the atmos phere from the box 5. When it is desired to stop the instrument manually for any purpose,,the hand valve 185 is opened, allowing the atmosphere to raise the diaphragm 49 and the valve 6, thereby cutting off the main bellows from the wind chests l and 52 and flushing the latter.

The operation of the instrument is as follows:

Assuming the parts to be in position shown in Fig. 2, the tracker A is in playing position and the tracker B in rewind position, at which time the rewind perforation 82 at the end of the music sheet 11 of tracker A registers with the corresponding tracker-duct 61. The incoming atmos phere through the conduit 60 raises the valve 58, as shown in Fig. 3, when suction from the auxiliary wind chest 53 collapses the valve-shifting bellows 50, thereby shifting 41 of the valve block 37, collapsing said" bellows and moving the rock arm 22 of the driving mechanism of tracker B into playing position, as shown in Fig. 3, and driving the take-up roll. I

Simultaneously with the shifting of tracker B into .playin position, the driving mechanism of trac er A is shifted into rewind position, as shown in Fig. 3, by said shifting of the slide valve 38. In this position of said valve, the valve chamber 69 is connected with the block-port 41 by'the conduits 67 and 79 and port 39, and as the rewind bellows 3 1 of tracker A is connected with said valve chamber 69, it is collapsed and shifts the arm 22 into rewind position,

" in which it remains until the sheet of the tracker is rewound after which the finger 96 enters the recess 104 of the take-up roll and is caused to open the pallet 95. The atmosphere now passes through the conduit 90 and raises'the pneumatic stop-valve 87 and rewind valve 69, collapsing the stopping bellows 83 and inflating the rewind bellows 31 of tracker A and shifting the arm 22 'into neutral position, thereby stopping the rewinding operation. The arm 22 is held in this position by said stopping bellows 83 as long as the pallet 95 is held open.

The moment the music sheet of tracker B is driven for playing, the tracker board 8 of tracker A is disconnected from the main wind chest by closing of the pouch valves 125 of the suction chamber 112, which latter at this time is flushed through conduits 114C and 66 and open port 40. The pouch-valves 128 of the other suction chamber 113 are at the same time open, establishing communication between the tracker board of tracker B and the main wlnd chest.

The music sheet of tracker B continues to play until a rewind perforation 82 thereof registers with the corresponding trackerduct 61 of said tracker. Atmosphere entering the conduit 65 raises the valve 63, collapsing the bellows 51 of the slide valve 37 and shifting the latter into its former position shown in Fig. 2. This causes the playing bellows 33 of tracker A to be collapsed, thus again shifting the arm 22 into position to drive the take-up roll of tracker A.

Simultaneously with this action, the sheet of tracker B is rewound and stopped in the same manner as above described in connection with the sheet of tracker A. At the same time, the pouch valves 125 of tracker A are opened and the pouch valves 128 of the tracker B are closed, thus silencing the latter, as hereinbefore described.

If, for example, while the music sheet of tracker A is playing and music-sheet of tracker B is rewinding, it is desirable to manually throw the sheet of tracker B into playlng position, the push button 181 is pressed by the operator, thereby opening the pallet 178, raising the valve 62, and pro- 7 is set at select.

into playing position while the sheet of tracker B is playing, by pressing of the push button 180.

Again, it might be desirable for example to select some particular piece of the music sheet of tracker B and place it into playing position while the music sheet of tracker A is playing, in which case the hand lever 153 This movement uncovers the 'port 151 and allows the atmosphere to raise the valve 140, collapsing the selecting bellows 132 of tracker B, engaging the selecting gear 130 with the take-up roll of said tracker and driving it forward at increased speed as hereinbefore described.

As the instrument permits the operator to readily start and stop either of the music sheets and to select any desired composition thereon at will, it is especially adapted for use in moving picture theaters, where it is desirable to have various kinds of music to suit the character of the subjects exhibited. It will be noted that the tracker cut-01f contains no slides or similar parts liable to 7 become inoperative by binding and the device is therefore certain and reliable in action. V I claim as my invention: v

1. In an instrument of the character described, the combination of a plurality of trackers,'music and take up rolls associated with each tracker, driving and rewind wheels for alternately rotating said rolls, as oscillatory arms carrying driven wheels arranged to engage saiddriving and rewind wheels, respectively, means for driving the wheels of said arms, pneumatics for shifting said arms, a pneumatic action controlling said shifting pneumatics, and auxiliary shifting means controlled by the take-up rolls for moving said oscillatory arms into neutralsor inoperative position.

2. In an instrument of the character described, the combination of a plurality of tracker boards, music and take-up rolls associated with each tracker, driving and rewind wheel for alternately rotating said rolls, oscillatory arms carrying driven wheels arranged to engage said driving and rewind wheels, respectively, means for driving the wheels of said arms, pneumatics for alternately shifting said arms into take-up and rewind position, valve mechanism con trolling said shifting pneumatics, pneumatic actions controlled from the trackers and controlling said valve mechanism, and stopping pneumatics for shifting said oscillatory arms into neutral or inoperative position with re spect to the music and take-up rolls and controlled by the take-up rolls.

3. In an instrument of thecharacter described, the combination of a wind chest, a plurality of trackers, music and take-up rolls associated with each tracker, driving mechanism including shiftable members for alternately rotating said rolls in opposite directions, pneumatics controlling said shiftable members, a pneumatic cut-off for alternately disconnecting the tracker from the wind chest, a valve mechanism controllin said pneumatics and said pneumatic cut-o a pneumatic action controlling said valve mechanism, and auxiliary means for manually controlling said valve mechanism.

4. In an instrument of the character described, the combination of a plurality of trackers, music and take-up rolls associated with each tracker, driving and rewind Wheels for alternately rotating said rolls, shiftable member associated with each set of said wheels and carrying gearing arranged to engage either the driving wheel or the rewind wheel, means for driving said gearing, a pneumatic for shifting each of said members, and auxiliary shifting means controlled by the take-up rolls for moving said shiftable members into neutral or inoperative position in which their gearing is disengaged from both of the companion driving and rewind wheels.

5. In an instrument of the character described, the combination of a wind chest, a plurality of tracker mechanisms each including a tracker board and music and takeup rolls associated therewith, driving mechanism including shiftable members for alternately rotating said rolls in opposite directions, separate pneumatics for moving each of the shiftable members into playing and rewind position, a pneumatic cut-0E for each tracker to disconnect the same from the wind chest, the playing pneumatic and cut off of one tracker mechanism and the rewind pneumatic of the other tracker mechanism being connected together to act in unison, valve mechanism controlling said pneumatics and cut-offs, and a pneumatic action controlled by the tracker board for actuating said valve mechanism.

6. In an instrument of the character described, the combination of a tracker, a music roll, a take-up roll having a shoulder, driving and rewind spur gears for alternately rotating said rolls, an oscillatory arm carrying spur gears arranged to engage said driving and rewind gears, respectively, means for driving the gears of said arm, a rock shaft arranged parallel with the axis of the take up roll and having an actuating finger arranged to be tripped by said shoulder to positively rock said shaft, said rock shaft having an arm arranged in line with said oscillatory arm and a link connecting the last-named arm with the arm of said rock shaft.

Witness my hand this 13 day of December, 1913.

ELMER L. OUCHIE. Witnesses:

WM. WESTERHELWEG, W. FULLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

